“The People have voted. The bastards,” a wise man once said. We have tallied your votes on the Autopian’s powerful Ball-o-tron 9000, a weird glowing cube under my drafting table (When I asked David how it was humming and glowing without even being plugged in, he gave me a very serious stare and said “Don’t Ever Ask That Again”), and by far the vehicle you maniacs wanted to see next was a cabover pick up truck. So allow me to try my hand at one.
I mulled this as I was rearranging my black turtle neck sweater drawer (it’s the one underneath my watch collection drawer). You see, you can of course still get those adorable Kei cabover pick ups in Japan and on much of the Asian subcontinent. It’s a perfect way to have maximum utility in a compact size. If you had a death wish you could even import an old one into the USA. So there wouldn’t be much point in doing something like that (even though that’s where my mind was originally wandering – some sort of last mile commercial/gig economy type thing). [Editor’s note: Quite a few folks are doing that these days! -DT]. And if you’re masochist enough Chevrolet will sell you something called a “Low Cab Forward.” But that has the slight problem of being a massive commercial vehicle.
Then I thought about the Ford Ranger. I’m sure it’s a fine vehicle (I’ve never driven one) but the issue is for the single cab the bed is 72-inches long in a vehicle that is 210-inches long in total. So only about a third of the length is given over to cargo. That’s bonkers. A cabover would do much better and we could probably get the bed length to the hallowed 8-ft figure. But I wanted something more than that — something more sophisticated and cool that would still have lots of utility, but would also be suitable to be your daily driver when you weren’t helping your friends move a couch.
And then it hit me. What if we merged the first generation Toyota Previa with a VW Transporter? The Previa’s problem with it being mid engined was that there wasn’t room for a bigger motor, so it felt a bit underpowered for U.S. tastes. The VW’s problem was it didn’t have an engine at all, just a metal box that turned gas into noise. And it was in the wrong place; but it was supremely space efficient. What I’m thinking is we can have a nice modern hybrid power plant tucked way down low in the middle of the chassis (modern engines being much more reliable, the location is less of an issue), stuff the thing with batteries, and send the power to the rear wheels. Keep the whole thing reasonably close to the ground for better aero and ability to chuck stuff in the bed, and job done I’m off to the pub. 
What I’ve done this week is slightly different. It’s four very different versions all on the same platform (I’ve used the same wheels in every sketch). The length I’ve decided should be about 190-inches – the same as a long wheelbase Transit Connect but way shorter than a Ranger (which is actually longer than it’s name sake, the full size Range Rover! [Editor’s Note: It should be obvious by now that Adrian is British. -DT]) but the height varies. And yes, one of them is an aggressive active leisure jacked up 4WD thing because I’m the Chief Designer around here that’s why.
As usual feel free to leave scorn, skepticism and suggestions in the comments; I’ll dive in as well and we’ll figure out which direction we’re going to take this in. And if I’ve missed something blindingly obvious, please say so.
My old Chief Designer genuinely used to say design is not a democracy. Well, that’s easy enough to say when you don’t have a strange glowing cube under his desk.
Actually the key design criteria is that it be “manly”. You need to be able to intimidate cars. 2 and 3 are a good start, but they need to be jacked up and the lights raised so that they can blind the driver of the car in front of you with the rear view mirror when you pull up behind them. If they can roll coal even better. Its an American thing.
When you lift the engine cover, an Eagle flies out. Sorry forgot to mention that.
I love the cabover design for it’s practicality and uniqueness, but unfortunately it inevitably turns handling into a sloppy terror-fest, especially when you’re driving on the freeway. I once rented a Mitsubishi camper in Australia with cabover design, complete with air cooled engine, it was kinda fun to drive on regular roads at slow speeds, but absolutely horrible to drive on freeways.
In many respects this is a stylized version of a Sprinter Chassis Cab. I think this would be ideal, especially in light of the F-150 Lightning with a 5.5′ bed and a massive frunk.
My one revision would be to add some overhang (18″) or so to the back end so you can have a true 8′ bed and still have storage space in the cab.
4,1,3,2 is my order of preference. Friendly just looks good and is the most useful for the weekend warrior with a weekday commute. I like the drop sides and frankencamry’s? idea for turning them into ramps. The storage locker and waist locker are both good. Can’t wait to see where you go next design wise.
I love cab forward vehicles but the good ones have your face right up on the edge of the truck like the Jeep FC. The bad ones (the only ones possible bc of safety) are still pretty cool. The canoo is probably the best that is possible, but you’re still sitting pretty far back.
I vote for #1 and #3 but could you include a picture of what the interior would look like, taking into account frontal crashes?
I like the Junior Semi the best, but I’d probably buy the Friendly. I don’t need a Semi unfortunately, not even a Junior one.
I like the Junior Semi the best, but would request the addition of a side access/loading ramp like the Corvair Pickup.
It seems like all of these would outperform conventional pickups for gooseneck or 5th wheel towing, as you could accommodate higher pin weights before overloading an axle. You’d also get some advantages in maneuverability, so it might be a good fit for the the 2500/3500 camper crowd if it had the power.
I wasn’t really thinking of that heavy duty a vehicle to be honest. More of an extremely practical car alternative. I must admit I’m not really up on the intricacies of towing as it’s not such a big thing here in the UK.
Side exhausts?
No. Just don’t go there.
Perhaps some chrome stacks behind the cab instead, good buddy? 😛
And yet, in 2022, this is how the last cabforward pickup sold on my market looks like : http://www.piaggiocommercialvehicles.com/lu_FR/Mod%C3%A8les/Gamme-Porter/Porter-%C3%A0-Plateau-Fixe/
Anyway, the cabforward concept, it may be space efficient, it is terrible for safety. I don’t think you could make one go through the crash test.
It’s nice that you call it a Rivian style waist locker, but it was also seen on every rear engined VW pick up from around 1950 to around 1990.
– But I do LOOVE that you took that small dainty hub cap of the old Econoline, and blew it up to cool futuristic wheel design!
Fair point, I just figured Rivian was bit more of a contemporary reference. Being much older than my peers, a lot of the mood images I used to use in the studio for sketch reviews got some puzzling looks from the teenagers! (kids, what do they know eh?).
1 or 3. 2 would be acceptable but I hate #4. It’s toy. Not suitable for any real work. Just a suburban affectation.
This of course leads us directly to the question of what it would look like with a camper shell.
https://imgur.com/a/uVHcRM3
If it’s number two, The Unimog.. A truck Mutant Ninja Turtle.
That would require a half shell, no?
I actually quite like all of these options. I’ve enjoyed all the previous exercises, but these seem the closest to plausible. The trellis for tie-downs sticks out as a useful detail that also works as an aesthetic flourish.
If we’re making these electric (even partially), are we building then out of aluminum to save weight? Does that pose durability/repairability concerns for a work vehicle if so?
Probably not totally out of aluminum, as it has cost implications and because it’s weaker than steel, you need more material, which can give you packaging problems.
Cabover and trailer?
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ELCCxibUEAM56fA.jpg:large
Came here looking for an electric Dodge Deora and was disappointed.
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/2022-dodge-deora-is-the-truck-revival-we-ve-been-waiting-for-143683.html
Call #4 the Ford Ranchero Futura. Pray an internet rumor grows. I like it!
Love them. #1 and #4 especially, but love the whole approach.
That Super Sporty would be a great rebirth of the ute. Me gusta.
I drive a cabover truck at work, and while it sucks in most respects (it’s huge, loud, deadly slow, and has zero interior amenities) I absolutely love the seating position and the visibility out that giant windshield. Sitting on top of the front wheels makes it feel surprisingly nimble for its size, as well. The view alone has made me contemplate getting an old Isuzu NPR with a stake bed and becoming King of the Home Depot Parking Lot.
You can haul *so much shit* with something like that, it will embarrass dually F-350s all day long *and* you can see over the brodozers in traffic. (Nice lift buddy, now when was the last time you washed your roof?) They suck in most respects, but nothing a bigger turbo, a better sound system, and some Dynamat can’t cure—right?
I’m just waiting for the bros to discover them and turn them into proper monster trucks. That would actually be pretty fun to see.
Ooo I like this topic, because that fucking company Canoo is doign the same shit: sexy forward cab styling….. but…. crash standards make it a faux cab forward design, as the interior is completely traditional. As cool as FC trucks are for visibility/turning radius/offroad prowess, it’s hard to beat physics when your feet exist where crumple zones go. I really don’t see how something a FC truck can exist in the modern world without completely abandoning safety standards.
Sincerely, a designer fed up with fake bullshit, fake cab forward, fake diffusers, fake intakes, fake scoops, fake exhaust, and fake engine noises.
Yeah, if you look at something like the iD Buzz, you can see it’s not really cab forward in the traditional sense. It’s not only crumple zones, the IP and HVAC take up much more room now due to their complexity. It’s not like the old days where you had a speedo and three warning lights if you were lucky.
Unimog, painted green with a red band across the front over the headlights to the back of the cab. Throw in a turtle shell colored tarp and name it Raphael.
In lieu of an edit option I am forced to respond to my own comments.
Given what appears to be an already two tone color treatment on the Unimog version, I sure hope the base color is turtle green and the only other optional colors (for the dark shaded parts of the cab) are blue, yellow, red or purple.
Toss a shell on that thing with a couple of surf boards?
Cowabunga!
I have been bench racing the Previa truck concept as well. The styling and engine location works well. The lower load height would lend itself well to loading motorcycles into the bed.
Is it weird that I kind of feel like this is the direction the Cybertruck should have taken?
Well, “actually existing in the real world” would also have been a good path
Don’t even get me started on that monstrosity.
Can we start a petition to get you on what I’m sure would be a brilliant and entertaining take on that monstrosity?
I like them all well enough, except for the awkward wheels. I feel like I would have loved them 10 years ago, though. Is futurism getting played out, or am I just getting old?
The unimog is angry and at least slightly pugnacious. I’m tired of angry vehicles. I don’t care for pugnacious.
The Friendly just seems kinda vacuous in the face. Like it’d be attracted to squirrels and bright shiny things.
The Junior Semi seems to lack something.
Sporty doesn’t work at all for a cab over.
I think I’d like to see the Junior Semi front (also, c’mon. Big Rig/Lil’ Rig is right there) with the Unimog rear? The trellis design intrigues me. Maybe with removable/storable panels to actually let it look like solid sides when not needing to have a jungle gym in the back of the truck?
The trellis could be rectilinear shaped holes with fill in panels, yes. As always it’s more about the ideas than the execution at this stage.